Well, Then
by Amelia-Williams-Pond
Summary: James and the rest of the Marauders learn something about Lily. ONESHOT (Disclaimer- I own nothing.)


**So, this is like, my first story ever to be read by actual human beings,**  
**and personally, I don't even like it all that much, but please don't tell me if you don't like it; it's rude. Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions, comments, this, that, anything and everything.**  
**Thanks!**

Lily huffed as the small, glittering object swirled around her. "Why did he have to steal a _snitch_?" she muttered. The 'he' in question was James Potter, an extremely infuriating idiot in her year. He was always up to no good with his three best friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Together, the four were the Marauders.

Potter had recently nabbed a snitch from a practice, and had it nearly all the time, letting it fly a foot or two in front of him, then catching it again. Lily hated how almost every girl in the school was crushing on him. She supposed he was somewhat good-looking- he had mussed black hair and bright blue eyes that always had a mischievous glint. He had been pining after Lily for years now, but she despised him.

Though she'd never admit it, he was everything she wanted to be. Funny, rebellious. She didn't dare pull something like he did every day in public- she might be expelled! Hogwarts, well, and her family, were everything to Lily. Ever since she found out she was a witch, magic had been her life, and there was _nothing_ she wanted less than to have that taken away. Instead of yelling at him as she normally would've, she reached out and snatched the snitch right out of the air, to the surprise of her best friends, Alice, Mary, and Marlene.

"How-" Alice began, as Marlene started talking.

"Since when can you catch a snitch?" she asked. Lily grinned.

"Just because you're my best friends doesn't mean you know _everything _about me," she replied. Marlene's eyes widened.

"You're not seeing James, are you?" she asked.

"What? No! Why would I be- that's just- God, Marlene! Where do you get this stuff?"

"He's the best seeker in the school, and suddenly you can catch a snitch," Mary pointed out.

"You can't _teach_ someone how to catch a snitch! That's not how it works," Lily argued.

"She has a point," a voice from behind her noted. Still clutching the snitch, she whipped around to see Potter and the Marauders, less than a foot from her.

"Can I help you?" She asked coldly.

"You can give me back my snitch," James replied, holding out a hand.

"Seeing as how you _stole_ it from the practice set, I think I'll keep it," Lily responded.

"How do you know it was from the practice set?" Sirius asked. Lily liked him; he was kind and always had a laugh.

She gave them a pointed look. "I know it was from the practice set because the one from the practice set has been missing for the past week," she said pointedly.

"You play?" Sirius asked with interest.

"I practice. Every day, before everyone else gets up. Surprising one of you hasn't noticed by now, with the amount of time you spend out there," she explained. "Goodbye," she turned and walked away, snitch in hand. Her friends had little choice but to follow.

"Is that true?" Alice asked once they were out of earshot.

"Yes, it's true. Why do you think I'm always up before everyone else?"

"So why don't you play?" Marlene cut in.

"Don't want to. House teams are too competitive- they play dirty. Besides, Gryffindor team is full."

"We don't have reserves! You could join." Mary suggested.

"Could. Not going to."

"Why not?" Marlene persisted.

"Don't want to. There's a big difference between practicing _alone_ every morning and playing against a team-_on_ a team- in front of everyone."

"What, you have stage fright?" Sirius's voice asked as he slid up next to them.

"No, not really. I just don't want everyone to know. It's my secret pastime." Lily replied, idly wondering why he had followed them.

"I see," Sirius said. He was completely oblivious to the fact that Marlene was mooning over him. "The girls are right, though. If you love playing, you should play. Bet you ten galleons you'll make the team. It's not decided for this year yet- tryouts next week. You ought to try it." He grinned at her, a gesture that, oddly, made him look somewhat wolfish. Not in the way Remus was wolfish, Lily had figured his secret out years ago, but still… A trace of it was there.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. You never know," she responded. Sirius grinned wider.

"See you around, girls," he tipped an imaginary hat and disappeared around a corner.

"Oh. My. God! Lily, it's not fair! Why do you get all the best guys?" Marlene complained when they reached the common room.

"Phoenix fire," Lily told the fat lady's portrait the password, and the door opened obligingly. "I don't know what you mean, it's just Potter, and you can have him any day!"

"Not him, Sirius! Did you _see_ that grin he gave you?"

"Sirius?" Lily had never stopped to think that he, or any of the other marauders, liked her. Besides Potter, of course. She contemplated the theory for a moment.

"No, Sirius doesn't _like_ me. He treats me as more of… a sister." As soon as she said it, she realized the words were true. Sirius and Lupin both treated her like a younger sister, protective, but not overly. Peter, however, was just kind of… there. "So does Remus. You want a crush, you should see Frank Longbottom around Alice."

Alice blushed. "You really think so?" she asked, glancing at the boy across the common room.

"Yeah. You should go talk to him," Lily told her.

"That's a great idea!" Marlene exclaimed. "Let's go play exploding snap- you'll play winner." She set off toward him, a somewhat reluctant Alice following, leaving Lily alone in her chair by the fire.

She watched as, one by one, her friends and fellow Griffindors turned in for the night, until it was just her and her book. That is, until _he_ showed up.

"What're you reading, Evans?" Potter asked, snatching her book and plopping down next to her.

"Why should you care?" she retorted. "Hey, be careful with that! It's a first edition!" she tried to retrieve it, but Potter was having none of it.

"Oh, Lily-flower, aren't you going to let me look at your book? I'll be careful, I promise."

She wanted to yell at him for calling her 'Lily-flower'-she hated it-but she didn't.

"Potter, I've never seen you pick up a book and actually read it with interest. Why should you care about _my_ copy of The Hobbit?"

"Anything to get you to watch me the way you were reading this," he smirked at her, waving the copy around and giving it to her.

Lily scoffed. "Fat chance. You'd have better luck getting the giant squid to move to Alaska."

"Oh?" James asked. "Need I know why?"

"Because, you're a selfish, arrogant, demeaning, idiotic prick-" she began, but was cut short when he suddenly pressed his lips against her in a gentle yet firm way. She froze, having expected nothing of the sort. The only thought that would form was 'Well, then...', but she didn't say it- she couldn't- he was still kissing her.

"I'm not such a bad guy, Lils," he whispered when he withdrew.

Lily said nothing- instead, she slapped him and stormed up to her dorm. She was confused. Furious at Potter for kissing her, but at the same time… she hadn't drawn back. She told herself that it was only because it was her first kiss that she had reacted as such. _James Potter _is_ an arrogant prick_, she decided,_ and a hell of a kisser_.


End file.
